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Excerpt Reveal, The Shipwreck by Author Rosalind Abel

The Shipwreck, Book four in the Lavender Shores Series is NOW LIVE and available to download for FREE with Kindle unlimited.

✮✮✮ THE SHIPWRECK is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮

Lamont Price’s romance novels have been a hit for the past few years. With his gorgeous looks, kind heart, and tender disposition, Lamont is the darling of Lavender Shores. He’s the guy everyone wants to be their best friend, the guy everyone wants to protect. But even with his success and the love of his family, Lamont feels hidden from those around him. Maybe the first step is attending a writing conference and revealing the man behind his pen name…. Tyler Dixon survives off his beauty and charm. From cover model to runway fashion to weekend arm candy, Tyler’s prices aren’t cheap. While his appearance is taking him places, his life as an artist has little more than flatlined. When an author hires him to appear as the face of her brand, Tyler thinks it’s just one more job. Little does he know another writer is going to steal all of his attention. Escaping the conference to find some breathing room, Lamont runs into Tyler at a bar. Casual conversation leads to Lamont revealing his family’s obsession with helping him find love. It’s not a big deal to Tyler, who has played the role of boyfriend for other people in the past. Before either of them can rethink the situation, Tyler is in Lavender Shores meeting Lamont’s family. Though they’re only pretending to be in a relationship, the chemistry that ignites between them is anything but imaginary…

When Lamont asked Tyler to pretend to be his boyfriend for the weekend to appease his family, he never dreamed he’d start to fall for the man. Lamont also never imagined he’d share his favorite spot in the world with Tyler, but he had. Now they’re back at the shipwreck so Tyler can take some photographs of the boat, maybe even use them in his next art show……

We needn’t have worried. It seemed to be one of those days where the fog was a permanent resident. As much as I’d wanted to stay in bed with him, I was glad we came out to the shipwreck. Especially on a morning like this. These kinds of days had always been my favorite here. Days other people thought were cold and miserable, when they stayed away. These times felt like I was the only one in the world, hidden in the fog and mist, just me and my shipwreck. I was certain it said something dark about me, that my favorite spot was a broken-down, wrecked, abandoned, rotting boat. I’d spent several pages journaling about that very fact as I took shelter in the cabin-like wheelhouse before part of it had been burned away. Ultimately, I decided it didn’t matter. Dark or not, this place fed my soul, brought me peace. Now when I returned, I’d be able to feel Tyler’s presence here. Be able to picture him fussing with his camera, slipping into his artist mode. And always be able to have him near, whenever I wanted.

“Okay, come stand over here beside the bow.” Tyler waved me over. Then pointed to a spot in the muck. “If you take a position right here, I can get the name of the Point Reyes lettering over your shoulder, a lot of the boat, and the way the fog is right now, you can actually see just a little bit of the green hills across the water.”

I started to walk toward him, then realized the point of his words. “You want me in the picture?”

“Well, yeah.” He pointed out the spot again, and his tone grew teasing, cocky. “And I can already hear that sound in your voice, so let’s just skip that part. You’ll tell me the photograph will be better without you in it, and I’ll have to point out how beautiful you are. Then you’d say that you don’t want to mess with the authenticity of the shipwreck, that it should be captured in its natural beauty, and I’d have to remind you about how beautiful you are again and that any picture I could possibly take would be better with you in it. Then you’d come up with some other ridiculously self-deprecating argument, and I would tell you you’re full of shit and to shut up and get in front of my camera. So, can you, please, get in front of my camera, already?”

I laughed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so often. “That’s how it would go, huh?”

Tyler shrugged. “More or less.” He lowered his voice to a loud mock whisper. “By the way, in a few minutes when I have you take your sweater off, you’ll be tempted to argue about that as well. I would suggest you not.”

“Take my sweater—”

He clucked his tongue. “No, no. None of that. We’ve discussed this. No arguing with the photographer. And for right now, you can keep the sweater on. Now get your ass over here, hot man.”

I followed his directions. Feeling completely self-conscious but a little pleased as well.

Tyler got me arranged how he wanted, shifting my shoulders with his hands, then moving my face by gripping my jaw gently. He took a step away, paused, leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, then walked backward several paces, as he lifted the camera to his eye.

“Perfect. Just keep looking out into the distance like that.” Tyler moved a little to his left. “Slip your right hand into your pocket, please, and rest your left on the hull of the boat. Right about where that little patch of paint is gone.”

I saw the spot he meant and rearranged.

“Great.” A few seconds passed. “Now look at me, directly into the camera.”

I did. Still self-conscious at first, but with the pleased sounds Tyler was making, it began to fade. Considering what we’d done the night before, this shouldn’t be that exposing.

“Seriously, Lamont, these are fucking brilliant.” He walked around, mindless of the mud or when he stepped into deeper water going near the top of his boot, other than having to pause to pull himself free. “You’re gonna want to be your own cover model for your next book.”

Now there was a horrible thought if I’d ever heard one. Tyler moved closer, invading my space with the camera. Focusing fully on my face. There was no breeze, and the fog worked as a sound barrier. All I could hear was the lapping of the water at his feet and Tyler’s breathing. “I don’t hear the click? You actually taking pictures?”

He lowered the camera, cocking an eyebrow at me. “No, I just wanted to roll around in the sludge.” He grinned. “Now that I think about it, pictures of you rolling around in the mud could be quite the hit. And there are settings on digital cameras where you can turn off the shutter noise. I like that best.”

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Tyler rearranged me all around the boat, having me move and twist my body in ways which most definitely weren’t natural. However, he let me check out a couple of the shots on the screen, and like before when I’d seen myself in the mirror with Tyler, I barely recognized the man in the camera. I actually could see them as a cover of a book. Not that I would ever do it. Though my agent would get a kick out of it. Lamont Price on the cover of his own books under the pen name Ginger Peach. As with the pictures I’d seen two nights before, even though Tyler said they needed editing, his photos seemed to tell a story. My story. I couldn’t fathom how he could capture so much with a solitary camera when sometimes it took me an entire novel to explore what he showed in one frame. He was good… better than good.

He went over to the tripod and snapped his camera onto it. “All right, I’m almost done.” He walked back over to me, hand extended, smile devilish. “Get out of that sweater.”

The thought of being photographed without my shirt on was a small bit of terror. “You’ve gotta be kidding. It’s freezing out here.”

Tyler waggled his fingers. “Again, we’ve already talked about this. Don’t make me replay an entire conversation about how I end up getting your sweater. Plus, I saved it till last. You won’t be shirtless in the cold for long. And besides, I guarantee you, it will do delicious things to your nipples.”

Tyler could get me to do just about anything. I started to pull off my sweater, then paused, letting it fall back into place. “You know… this hardly seems fair. If I’m shirtless, you need to be too.”

“Look at you, getting all bossy.” He gave me an appreciative gaze. “I like that.” In one of his almost irritatingly fluid motions, Tyler stripped off his sweater and T-shirt. “Better?”

I moved without even thinking. “Much.” My hands were cold, and Tyler hissed as I touched his chest and ran my fingers over the ridges of his stomach. “You’re the one who should be photographed.”

Tyler slipped his hand under my sweater and pressed his hand to me, causing me to suck in a breath at his cold touch. “It’s your turn to be in front of the camera, your turn to see how utterly captivating you are.” His touch went from sensual to playful as he shoved his hand down the front of my pants and wrapped his freezing fingers around my dick.

I let out a holler and jumped backward without meaning to, accidentally pulling Tyler off balance with his hand still in my pants. He yanked his hand free and caught himself against the side of the boat before he fell. He looked down at the muddy ground and then back up at me. “You are so lucky I didn’t fall. Otherwise, you’d be going down with me, I promise.”

That actually sounded kind of fun, if it hadn’t been frigid water and mud we’d have been rolling around in. “You’re the one who grabbed my dick. I’d say it was your fault.”

“Oh, so you don’t want me touching your dick? Sorry, I keep getting mixed messages.” He tapped the side of his head as he grinned at me. “Don’t worry, I got it now. Tyler does not touch Lamont’s dick. Got it.” He held his hand out again. “Give me your sweater already. I’m freezing out here half naked.”

I pulled off my sweater, the cold instantly making my skin turn to gooseflesh. “You’re mean. Very, very mean.”

I expected another teasing reply, but instead, Tyler’s gaze traveled over my torso. Lust sweeping over any other emotion. “Fuck. I’d never get tired of seeing that.” At his words, he flinched and his expression changed, and he waggled his fingers once more. “Give me the damn sweater already.”

Keeping my expression neutral, I handed it over, and Tyler walked back toward the camera as I repositioned. We’d be saying goodbye soon. Somehow, it seemed impossible. It felt like we were just getting started. Just falling into sync with each other. There was so much more to explore; it almost sounded like Tyler wanted…

I hadn’t been sure what I wanted, not really, but after last night, after simply being on the couch watching TV with him, followed by what was easily the best sex I’d ever had, I thought I knew what I wanted. But that hadn’t been our deal. Not to mention, it would be so like me. I could pretend I could have sex without emotions getting in the way, without feeling things that weren’t really there. But maybe….

Tyler walked back to the camera and hung our sweaters on the tripod, keeping them out of the muck. This time he had me lean back against the boat, spread my legs in a near cowboy-like stance, and hook my thumbs into my belt loops. He made a few pleased noises and then looked over his camera once more. “Unbutton your jeans, and unzip them halfway.”

I hesitated for a split second, feeling the photo shoot take a different turn.

“Don’t worry, Lamont. I won’t have you go any further than that. Although, you, me, a camera, and no clothes could be a lot of fun.”

At his words, my dick twitched in my pants. That was the last thing I wanted. Me naked on film. Or at least, I thought it was. The idea of dropping my pants to my ankles and doing whatever he told me to do while he took my picture, well, that sounded pretty fucking hot, actually.

I unbuttoned my jeans, unzipped them halfway, then retook my position. If he pressed to go further, I just might.

True to his word, Tyler only had me do a couple more poses, taking three or four minutes, before he straightened, adjusted some knobs, and walked toward me, leaving his camera on the tripod. “These were fucking amazing. I can’t wait for you to see them. I’ll send you some copies after I get them edited and ready.”

Suddenly, I didn’t give a flying fuck about any of the pictures. Or how hot it might have been if the photo shoot had gone in a dirtier direction.

He was going to send me copies. Later. As in, there was something after our goodbyes this evening. It was the first time it had even been hinted at, and more than I expected.

A tiny spark of hope ignited. Dangerous or not, it was there.

Tyler came up to me, slipped his fingers into the opening of my jeans, and pulled me around so both of our shoulders rested against the side of the boat, and he kissed me.

I wrapped my arm around his back, crushing him to me. The heat of his body against mine both a welcome relief to the cold and erotic contrast against my skin.

His hand sank in farther, and this time, the chill of his fingers didn’t shock but caused me to cry out into his mouth with pleasure as they wrapped around my cock. I’d already been aroused by the photo shoot with Tyler, but I grew rock-hard in his grip.

“You liked being photographed half naked, didn’t you?” He stroked again as he lifted his lips to my ear, as if keeping anyone else from hearing. “The camera is on a repeat release right now. Let’s give it a show.”

Holy fuck. I glanced at the camera, and Tyler stroked again.

Then there was no thought, no plan, no worry that we were out in the open. Even if there was, the fog blocked anything anyone might see from the houses and grocery store around. I began to thrust into his hand and kissed him again. His other hand slid around my back and dipped to the other side of my jeans, then he slid it down the crack of my ass, lightly fingering my entrance.

I shuddered and broke the kiss, but I continued to thrust against him, the pressure building.

Once again, Tyler was a sensation overload, especially for my starved body. Heightened even more by the awareness of being “watched” and recorded.

The tip of his finger pushed inside me, and I came with a sharp cry.

Tyler pushed in a little farther with a chuckle, drawing out my climax, and then removed his finger.

I shuddered, wishing we could do that all again.

Though his words were teasing, Tyler’s tone was still heated. “I guess you like that.” He smiled and began to pull away.

“Oh no, not again.” My arm was still around his back, and I swiveled us around so he was pressed against the hull of the ship. I sank to my knees in front of him, not giving a shit about the mud or the water or the cold. In a frenzy, I yanked his pants open and pulled them down as far as I could.

“Lamont, you don’t have to—”

I cut him off by taking his dick into my mouth.

Well, not quite—he was much too big to get in all the way—but I took him as deep as I could, the thickness of him stretching my lips, the slick saltiness covering my tongue.

Tyler groaned and arched into my mouth, pushing a little too far, causing me to gag. I popped off him, sucked in a breath and then shoved back down. I gripped his thigh, but Tyler took my hand and moved it to his stomach and used it to make caressing motions over his abs and chest, letting me know what he liked. He released my hand, but I continued, bringing my other up to caress him as well.

Tyler sank his hands in my hair, holding my head still as he began to thrust. Though his pace was quick, he was careful, only so often pushing a little too deep into me.

I could tell he was getting closer, his precome filled my mouth and began to travel down my throat. His breathing grew more and more ragged.

I lifted my hand farther, flicking a nipple. He sucked in a breath, flinched again, and pulled free from my mouth.

“I’m about to come, Lamont.” He took his hand off my head and began to pump his dick.

I pushed it away and claimed his cock once more.

“Babe.” Tyler tensed and then cried out, releasing his load into my throat. It was too much, too big, but I fixed my lips around him, refusing to lose even a drop of him. I swallowed rush after rush of his come. Then he finally let out another ragged exhale and went slack against the boat.

I pulled off him, slowly, giving a final swallow, then looked up.

He caressed my cheek as he smiled down. “You are damn good at that.” Tyler offered his hand and helped me up, then kissed me. Gentle and slow. His hands moving over my back.

I wanted this. Again and again I wanted this. Wanted him.

Someone cleared their throat, and I broke the kiss, whipping around. A few yards away, two men walked toward us, both with huge smiles across their faces.

Fuck!

“Oh my God.” Tyler’s sounded more surprised and amused than the shot of terror I felt. He started pulling up his pants.

“You boys don’t need to stop on our accounts, trust me,” the older of the two called out. There was a brief pause, and then he moved his hand toward his crotch. “We’d be happy to join you, if you want.”

Tyler laughed softly. How he could laugh in this situation, I had no clue. And when he spoke, he actually sounded chipper. “We appreciate the offer, but…. We just finished up, if you know what I mean.”

Holy shit, I was going to die. Literally going to die.

“You can hang around and watch us then, if you want.” The guy was persistent.

Tyler motioned toward me with his thumb as he stepped around and headed toward his photography equipment. “My boyfriend here is the jealous type. He goes all roid rage if he even thinks I’m looking at someone else. That probably wouldn’t end well.”

I gaped at his back, then glanced toward the men, who were watching me warily. Realizing my pants still weren’t zipped, I fixed that situation and followed Tyler. Within a few seconds, he unhooked the tripod, and we both put our sweaters back on. I gave a little wave of apology to the men as we walked away, though I wasn’t particularly sure what I was apologizing for.

We were almost to the car when Tyler finally lost it and started laughing. “This might’ve been the greatest day of my entire life so far.” He smiled at me like I’d given him the best gift in the world. “A great photo shoot, fucking hot sex, and then that shitshow. Priceless!”

My racing heart was finally beginning to slow, and with his laughter, I was beginning to see some of the humor in it. Thank God it hadn’t been anyone I knew. The men must have been tourists. I wondered how much they’d seen.

I hit a button on my car fob, and the trunk popped open. Tyler’s words came back to me. “Roid rage, really?”

He just laughed harder. “Well, you’re big enough. And I think I’ve seen a spark of uncontrollable rage behind that sweetheart demeanor of yours.” He winked.

“You’re ridiculous.” I leaned my hip against the car and began pulling off the muddy boots.

“Okay, maybe rage is a little too strong a word for your anger issues. Maybe mild slight annoyance with a side of teddy bear fluff would have been a better descriptor.” He laughed again and then motioned toward my ruined jeans. “And the day just keeps getting better. Looks like I get to drive home with you wearing nothing but your underwear. Though, I’m pretty sure those got covered in your come too. You should probably take them off. I promise to think up a good excuse if we get pulled over and I have to give an explanation to the cops.”

“Another sweet, romantic and sexy winner for me that hit on a number of emotions.”

Rosalind Abel grew up tending chickens alongside her sweet and faithful Chow, Lord Elgin. While her fantasy of writing novels was born during her teen years, she never would have dreamed she’d one day publish steamy romances about gorgeous men. However, sometimes life turns out better than planned. In between crafting scorching sex scenes and helping her men find their soul mates, Rosalind enjoys cooking, collecting toys, and making the best damn scrapbooks in the world (this claim hasn’t been proven, but she’s willing to put good money on it). She adores MM Romance, the power it has to sweep the reader away into worlds filled with passion, steam, and love. Rosalind also enjoys her collection of plot bunnies and welcomes new fuzzy ones into her home all the time, so feel free to send any adorable ones her way.